Diversity in the IT Industry

Just reading a report on diversity in the IT industry and thought you might find it interesting. 

Maggie Berry, from Women in Technology, said that more businesses need to be aware of the benefits of a diverse workforce, to make more opportunities for women.

"The majority of the women that we talk to do not want to see the introduction of quotas - they want to get the top jobs on their own merit and ability, not to make up numbers," Ms Berry said.

But she added that introducing targets would be a "positive move" to put pressure on business to change.

Ms Berry's comments followed research from InterExec which revealed that 65% of senior executive head hunters do not agree that firms should more than double the number of women on their executive boards by 2015, despite a recent Davies report recommending this move.

"Progress is a slow process, but we are moving forward.  With more awareness about the benefits of diverse teams, changes to legislation and more flexible working, hopefully we will continue to see improvements when it come to women in IT, "  Ms Berry concluded.

Another group which are sometimes overlooked are older workers, but according to Rachel Krys, director of Inclusive Employers, the best workforces are made up of both fresh-faced young employees and experienced old-hands.

"Older workers can have a real settling, calming effect on the whole workforce, but you also need the people with the fresh ideas - and that might be younger people, that might be older people, " she said.

"You need people with new thoughts.  People who have not done it before are not restricted by past failures; people who have not failed before are much more willing to take a risk.  You need that mix."

The eSkills report also points out that despite there being a shortfall in candidates, obtaining a job in the IT sector still requires skills to be refreshed on a regular basis, to keep up with developments in the industry.